Hot Rod Terms and Hot Rod Slang
Mag: Short for a wheel made with a magnesium alloy. Can also mean Magneto, a self contained ignition system Mill: Engine Molded: Filling and reshaping body panels and seams Mood Disks or Discs: Flat aluminum wheel covers Mouse Motor: A small block Chevy engine manufactured from 1955 to present day. NOS: Nitrous Oxide System, for creating big horsepower N.O.S: “New Old Stock” -- parts that are the original parts supplied by the vehicles manufacturer for today’s older vehicles Nail Head: A 1950's Buick engine Nerf Bars: Little bumperettes used to ward off tires in open wheel racing cars Newstalgia: Refers to a rod style that mimics the 50's and 60's and employs modern power plants, components and body panels OE: Original Equipment Overbore: An engine block that has had its cylinder bore enlarged, due to wearing or to increase power Overwind: To run an engine faster in RPM then its designed limits Panel Delivery: An early commercial vehicle with two doors in the front for people and two doors at the rear of the vehicle for cargo Pearl Paint: Sometimes called "pearl coat." Similar to metallic paint, but instead of minute metal particles it uses mica, a kind of semi transparent, crystalline mineral that absorbs and reflects light in prismatic fashion. This gives a dramatic, multi-dimensional effect to the paint , reflecting Mother of Pearl type iridescent colors. Pie crust sidewall: Sidewall scallops, as seen on many of the Firestone bias ply tires. Pit Pins: Quick release pins that hold body panels in place Phaeton: An open two or four door sedan manufactured in the late 20's to the late 30's, that had no roll up windows Phone Booth: A 28 or 29 Model 'A' closed cab pickup Pin Stripe: Long, narrow painted stripes usually running the length of a hot rod. Cheap version may be done with narrow plastic tape. Ported: Intake and exhaust ports that have been enlarged and polished to provide maximum flow through the heads Power Parker: People that arrive as early as possible to events and shows to get prime parking spots, usually frowned on by hot rodders Pro Street: A hotrod made to look like a drag racing car. Some may be raced, but most are created to show. Puffer: A supercharger Quick Change: Rear end that allows for rapid changing of rear end gear ratios RPM: 'Revolutions Per Minute' or how many rotations an engines crankshaft completes in one minute Rails: Frame side rails on cars used before invention of the uni-body Raked: Rod that has been lowered in the front or raised in the back by dropping the suspension Rat: A Big Block Chevy V8 engine e.g.: 396, 400, 427, and 454 cid Reacher: A dependable street rod Repro: Reproduction parts to match or replace N.O.S. (New Old Stock) parts Resto Rod: A hot rod or street rod with a stock looking outer appearance, but with modern
running gear Roadster: A two-seater (see “Phaeton”) with removable top, no roll up side windows, and the windshield could fold down Rod: A short for either “Hotrod” or “Connecting Rod” Rod Run: May mean an event open to pre ‘62 only or can refer to any pre-ordained driving route as in a rally Roll Bar: A special cage made of round tubular steel designed to protect occupants in case of roll over. Roll Cage: Same as Roll Bar Roller: A chassis that is completed enough to be rolled around on its own. Can also refer to a type of camshaft that uses roller lifters. Roscoe: A right hand turn (Louie – left hand turn) Rubber Rake: A rake angle achieved by the use of big tires in the back and little tires in the front Sano: A rod that is absolutely spotless (sanitary) Saw: See Chop Scallops: A graphic in the shape of a long narrow triangle, usually starting from the front of a hotrod Scatter Shield: An enclosure at the rear of the engine to protect the driver in case a clutch explodes, also used on the transmission Scoop: A device mounted on the hood to force air into the engine at higher speeds Section: To remove a band of metal from around the middle section of a vehicle to reduce its overall height Sedan Delivery: A truck with two opening doors up front and one huge door in the rear Shoebox: Nickname of a ‘49-‘51 Ford car Slammed: A vehicle or hotrod that is as close to the ground as possible without actually touching Skins: Tires Skirts: Short for Fender Skirts which cover wheel well openings in customs and hotrods Smoothy: A hotrod that has had all raised portions of the body removed, including moldings and chrome Spots: Short for a spot light, also refers to disk brakes Stacks: Short for Velocity Stacks, used on carbureted and fuel injected engines Stance: How the tires and wheels cause the car to sit on the road. Steelies: Wheels made of steel , such as Gennies, Smoothies or OE Ford/GM. Or, a marble made from knocking apart really big old ball bearings. Step Plates: Pads mounted on running boards or fenders to protect the paint or rubber matting Stick Shift: A floor mounted gear shift lever Stone: Very slow car Stones: Short for Firestone tires Stove Bolt: A rod powered by a Chevy inline six cylinder engine Street Machine: Usually refers to a hot rodded car built after 1949 Street Rod: Hot rodded car built before 1949, may be a reproduction, or with modern parts Stroker: An engine equipped with a longer-than-stock crankshaft throw, with modified-length connecting rods Stuffer: Supercharger Suede: Primer Supercharger: A mechanical device designed to force air into an engine at higher then atmospheric pressure to pick up horsepower T-Bucket: A short, fenderless opened 'T' body hotrod TPI: Tuned Port Injection Tach: Short for Tachometer and a device to read engine RPM Three On The Tree: Column mounted three speed transmission shifter Trad Rad: A street rod built in the styles of the 50's and 60's rods Tub: A touring car or Phaeton. Tubbed: Fenders cut to increase wheel well size to house taller and wider tires. Rear end modified, usually at the rear axel. Sometimes rear seat is removed. Tudor: Ford name for a two door sedan Uncorked: Running without mufflers Victoria: A sporty two door sedan body that featured a different rear body panel style (also Vicky) Wedge: A type of Chrysler engine with wedge shaped combustion chambers in the heads Whitewall: Tires that have a concentric white line. Some are up to four inches wide and called "wide whitewall." Wide Whites: Wide whitewall tires Wide Weenies: Large rear tires Wires: Spoked Wire Wheels X Member: The center portion of a frame where the frame rails meet or cross Y Block: A cylinder block with deep pan rails Z'ed: Frame rails altered in a Z shape to lower the front of a hot rod Zoomy: A wild street rod with open exhaust pipes
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